Tag: Speech

By SayPro Royal Committee Deputy Treasurer – Jane Ndlovu

Your Majesties, Esteemed Leaders, Distinguished Guests, Honoured Farmers, and Members of the SayPro Family,
Good day.

It is a privilege and great honour to speak before you today on SayPro Agriculture Day 2025 — a celebration of our land, our people, and the shared promise of prosperity that agriculture offers.

As the Deputy Treasurer of the SayPro Royal Committee, I serve not only as a custodian of resources but as a bridge between our traditional values and the evolving demands of development. Today, we gather to pay tribute to the heart of our continent — agriculture — and to those who nurture it daily, often with limited means but boundless spirit.

Our heritage teaches us that the land is sacred. It feeds, heals, sustains, and unites us. But in today’s world, we must also ensure that the resources invested into agriculture are responsibly managed, equitably shared, and strategically deployed — especially for those most in need: our rural communities, youth, and smallholder farmers.

Under the wise leadership of SayPro and our Royal Committee, and through effective collaboration with government departments and learning institutions like the University of Johannesburg, we have achieved remarkable progress in 2025:

• Strengthened financial oversight mechanisms to ensure that agricultural funds and grants reach their rightful recipients
• Supported community-based farming cooperatives with transparent budgeting and support systems
• Advocated for inclusive agricultural finance models that uplift women and youth in the agricultural value chain
• And improved resource accountability, ensuring that every investment is monitored, evaluated, and redirected to where it has the most impact

Our work is about more than numbers. It is about empowerment through finance — ensuring that farmers can access the tools they need, that youth can transform internships into careers, and that traditional communities can move from survival to sustainability.

Let us not forget: a well-managed seed grows into an abundant harvest. Likewise, well-managed agricultural funds grow into food security, rural development, and national pride.

To our royal houses and traditional leaders — thank you for preserving our values and guiding us with wisdom.
To SayPro — thank you for placing communities at the centre of agricultural transformation.
To our youth and interns — thank you for embracing agriculture not only as a duty but as a future.
And to our farmers — you are the true heroes of this day. We honour you.

As we celebrate SayPro Agriculture Day 2025, let us continue to cultivate not only the soil, but our shared responsibility, our integrity, and our commitment to building a legacy of nourishment and dignity.

Ke a leboga.
Ngiyabonga.
I thank you.

By SayPro Deputy Chairperson Officer of the SayPro Royal Committee- Sapapi Johannes Mputla

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Distinguished Guests, Valued Partners, Esteemed Colleagues, and Members of the SayPro Family,
Good morning.

It is both an honour and a privilege to welcome you to SayPro Agriculture Day 2025 — a day of pride, progress, and purpose.

As the Deputy Chairperson Officer of SayPro, I stand before you not only as a representative of our leadership, but also as a voice of support and advocacy for the millions of lives touched by agriculture. Today, we pause to reflect on the power of the land — and the people who cultivate it.

Agriculture is more than a sector. It is the heartbeat of our economy, the strength of our communities, and the foundation of our development. And at SayPro, we have made it our mission to ensure that agriculture is respected, modernised, and supported — from policy to practice, from training to transformation.

This year, 2025, has been a year of both innovation and impact. Across the provinces, we have seen:

• Young people entering agriculture through our Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programmes, particularly in partnership with forward-thinking institutions like the University of Johannesburg.
• Women farmers receiving access to markets, finance, and leadership opportunities through SayPro-led empowerment initiatives.
• Technologies and smart farming solutions being introduced to bridge the gap between tradition and innovation.
• And most importantly, communities rising — stronger, more self-reliant, and more resilient than ever before.

As Deputy Chairperson, I am especially proud of the role SayPro plays in building trust, creating leadership pathways, and fostering inclusion within the agricultural space. We are not just hosting events; we are building movements. Movements that champion youth, protect rural livelihoods, and ensure that agriculture receives the dignity and investment it rightfully deserves.

Let us also remember that agriculture is a national responsibility. It touches every home, every meal, every future. And today, we recommit ourselves to ensuring that no farmer is forgotten, no intern is left unsupported, and no policy is pursued without fairness and sustainability in mind.

To our farmers: your work is the foundation of our progress.
To our youth: your energy is the force behind our innovation.
To our partners and institutions: your collaboration makes all of this possible.
And to the SayPro teams across all provinces: thank you for continuing to lead with excellence.

On this SayPro Agriculture Day 2025, let’s move forward together — hands in the soil, eyes on the future.

Thank you.
Happy Agriculture Day!

By SayPro Chief Technology Officer – Moses Mnisi

Esteemed Guests, Partners, Colleagues, and Innovators in Agriculture,
Good morning.

It is a pleasure to stand before you today on SayPro Agriculture Day 2025, where we gather to celebrate not just the past and present of agriculture, but more importantly, its future.

As SayPro’s Chief Technology Officer, I have the privilege of overseeing how technology is being used to transform the way we farm, the way we train, and the way we empower communities.

Agriculture is no longer just a matter of soil, water, and seeds. It is now powered by data, connectivity, artificial intelligence, drones, remote sensing, precision farming, and smart systems. The future is here — and SayPro is ensuring that even the most rural farmer can benefit from it.

In 2025, we’ve taken major strides in making agritech accessible, affordable, and impactful. This year alone, SayPro has:

• Deployed mobile apps that give farmers real-time weather forecasts, market prices, and planting advice in local languages
• Launched AI-driven tools to predict pest outbreaks and optimize irrigation systems
• Integrated drone technology and satellite imagery to help cooperatives monitor large-scale crop health and manage land effectively
• Supported digital literacy among farmers, interns, and agri-entrepreneurs through our Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programmes with institutions like the University of Johannesburg
• And ensured that every technological solution we implement is open, inclusive, and designed with the user in mind

But technology alone is not the solution. The real power lies in how people use it — to make better decisions, to reduce waste, to adapt to climate change, and to build sustainable livelihoods.

At SayPro, we believe that digital agriculture is not a luxury — it is a necessity. And our responsibility is to bridge the digital divide, ensuring no farmer, youth, or rural community is left behind.

To our development teams, thank you for building what matters.
To our farmers and interns, thank you for your willingness to learn, adapt, and lead.
And to our partners, thank you for trusting in innovation to drive impact.

Happy SayPro Agriculture Day 2025.
Let’s keep planting the seeds of technology, transformation, and tomorrow.

Thank you.

By SayPro Chief Legal Officer- Neftaly Malatjie

Distinguished Guests, Partners, Colleagues, and Fellow Champions of Agriculture,
Good morning.

It is a great honour to address you today on SayPro Agriculture Day 2025 — a celebration of the hands that till the soil, the minds that innovate, and the systems that sustain one of Africa’s most critical sectors.

As the Chief Legal Officer at SayPro, my role may not involve planting or harvesting crops, but it is deeply rooted in ensuring that everything we do in agriculture is legal, ethical, transparent, and just.

Agriculture, at its core, is about access — access to land, markets, financing, information, and justice. Yet far too often, vulnerable communities, especially smallholder farmers, women, and young agripreneurs, face legal and regulatory barriers that limit their potential. SayPro is committed to breaking those barriers down.

In 2025, our legal team has worked hard to:

• Ensure that every agreement, partnership, and programme we support is grounded in fairness, accountability, and compliance
• Provide legal literacy workshops for farmers, cooperatives, and interns — helping them understand their rights, contracts, and protections
• Support land tenure and ownership security, particularly for women and marginalised communities, who have historically been excluded from decision-making and land access
• Uphold labour protections, ensuring dignity, equity, and safety for agricultural workers
• And strengthen regulatory compliance frameworks, so that our development efforts are not only impactful but also lawful and sustainable.

We know that the foundation of a thriving agricultural sector is not just good soil — it’s also strong governance, clear rules, and equal protection under the law.

SayPro’s vision for agriculture is inclusive, lawful, and future-focused. We believe that justice in agriculture means protecting the rights of every farmer, empowering the voices of rural communities, and holding all stakeholders to the highest ethical standards.

As we celebrate SayPro Agriculture Day, let us remember that the legal systems we uphold must serve the people who work the land. Because development without justice is incomplete.

To our partners, interns, and field teams — thank you for upholding integrity in everything you do.
And to our communities — we stand with you, not just as service providers, but as defenders of your rights and dignity.

Happy SayPro Agriculture Day 2025.
Let us grow agriculture with justice, accountability, and equity at its core.

Thank you.

By SayPro Chief Development Officer- Regaugetswe Netshiozwe

Distinguished Guests, Partners, Colleagues, and SayPro Family,
Good morning.

It is an honour to stand before you today on SayPro Agriculture Day 2025, a moment of reflection and celebration as we recognise agriculture not only as a source of food, but as a powerful engine of human development, social equity, and economic transformation.

As Chief Development Officer at SayPro, I have the privilege of leading programmes and strategies that turn potential into progress — and nowhere is that potential more alive than in the fields, hands, and hearts of Africa’s farmers.

At SayPro, we view agriculture through a development lens — as a pathway to achieve employment, food security, youth empowerment, gender equality, and climate resilience. Our mission is to ensure that no community is left behind, and that every agricultural intervention contributes to broader goals of sustainability and dignity.

In 2025, we’ve scaled impactful development initiatives:

• Expanded agripreneurship development programmes, providing youth and women with resources, mentorship, and skills to build agricultural businesses
• Strengthened our Work Integrated Learning (WIL) partnerships with institutions like the University of Johannesburg, creating bridges between education and the real economy
• Integrated climate-smart development models, ensuring that farmers not only grow more — but grow smarter, safer, and more sustainably
• And above all, focused on inclusive, community-led development, because the people we serve are not beneficiaries — they are partners in progress.

Agriculture is more than planting crops. It’s about planting hope, dignity, and opportunity. It’s about transforming rural areas into hubs of innovation, productivity, and pride.

To our partners — your collaboration fuels this journey.
To our field teams — your work brings development to life.
And to every farmer, intern, and community leader — your courage and resilience inspire all of us.

Let us leave here today with renewed energy to develop systems, build partnerships, and invest in people. Because when we grow agriculture, we grow Africa.

Happy SayPro Agriculture Day 2025.
Let’s keep growing, together.

Thank you.

By SayPro Chief Monitoring and Evaluation Officer- Rikhotso Tsakani

Distinguished Guests, Esteemed Partners, Colleagues, and Friends,
Good morning.

It is with great appreciation and purpose that I welcome you to SayPro Agriculture Day 2025 — a day where we not only celebrate agriculture, but also reflect, measure, and learn from our collective journey toward impact and transformation.

As the Chief Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at SayPro, my role is grounded in one essential question: Are we making a difference? And if so, how do we know?

Agriculture is a cornerstone of development — but real progress is more than just planting crops and building programs. It’s about understanding what works, for whom, under what conditions, and why. That is where monitoring and evaluation (M&E) steps in — to ensure that our efforts lead to meaningful, measurable, and lasting outcomes.

In 2025, SayPro has continued to implement robust M&E systems across all our agriculture and rural development initiatives. Through data collection, analysis, and feedback mechanisms, we have been able to:

• Track the impact of our Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programmes with universities such as the University of Johannesburg — ensuring that interns are not just placed but mentored, supported, and growing.
• Measure the effectiveness of farmer training programmes, ensuring knowledge translates into improved yields and incomes.
• Identify gaps and opportunities for continuous improvement, so that every rand spent leads to real results in the field.

M&E is not just about accountability — it’s about learning and adaptive management. It’s about listening to the voices of farmers, students, trainers, and stakeholders. It’s about using data to drive decisions, and stories to drive commitment.

As we celebrate SayPro Agriculture Day today, let us commit not only to doing good work, but to doing it better — through evidence, learning, and transparency.

To all our programme implementers, field workers, interns, and partners — thank you for making impact measurable and meaningful.

Together, let’s continue building an agriculture sector where results are not assumed — they are tracked, proven, and celebrated.

Happy SayPro Agriculture Day 2025!
Let’s keep measuring progress and growing impact.

Thank you.

By SayPro Chief Operations Officer – Clifford Legodi

Distinguished Guests, Partners, Colleagues, and Friends,
Good morning.

It is my privilege to address you on SayPro Agriculture Day 2025, a day that celebrates the vital role agriculture plays in our continent’s growth and the relentless efforts behind the scenes that keep this sector moving forward.

As Chief Operations Officer at SayPro, I am keenly aware that the success of agriculture depends not only on vision and innovation but on effective, efficient, and sustainable operations. Behind every seed planted and every harvest gathered, there is a complex web of planning, logistics, coordination, and management.

At SayPro, we are dedicated to optimizing these operational processes to support farmers, agripreneurs, and communities. Our work ensures that training programs, such as our Work Integrated Learning (WIL) initiatives with partners like the University of Johannesburg, run smoothly and deliver maximum impact.

We continuously refine our operations to improve resource allocation, supply chain management, technology deployment, and stakeholder engagement. This operational excellence translates into real-world results — enabling timely access to inputs, market opportunities, and support services that farmers need to thrive.

Moreover, as we face evolving challenges such as climate change, supply disruptions, and market fluctuations, SayPro’s operational agility and innovation become even more critical. We are committed to building resilient systems that can adapt and sustain agricultural productivity for generations to come.

To all those working tirelessly in the field, in offices, and in communities — your dedication fuels our mission. Together, through sound operations and collaborative effort, we will continue to drive sustainable agricultural growth across Africa.

Happy SayPro Agriculture Day 2025!
Let us keep planting the seeds of operational excellence and harvest success.

Thank you.

By SayPro Chief Human Capital Officer – Sinentlantla Mabusela

Distinguished Guests, Colleagues, Partners, and Friends,
Good morning.

It is a great honour to stand before you on SayPro Agriculture Day 2025 — a day dedicated not only to celebrating agriculture but also to recognizing the people who make agriculture thrive.

As Chief Human Capital Officer at SayPro, I am deeply aware that the strength of our agricultural sector lies in its human capital — the farmers, the agripreneurs, the researchers, the youth, and the communities whose skills, passion, and resilience drive our growth.

Agriculture is more than land and crops; it is a story of human potential, ingenuity, and opportunity. At SayPro, our focus is on developing this potential through training, mentorship, and meaningful Work Integrated Learning (WIL) experiences. We believe that investing in people — especially youth and women — is the key to unlocking a prosperous and sustainable agricultural future.

In partnership with institutions like the University of Johannesburg, we have continued to offer practical, skills-based programs that equip our interns and emerging agripreneurs with the knowledge, confidence, and experience they need to succeed.

But beyond skills, we invest in leadership development, wellbeing, and creating inclusive environments where every individual feels valued and empowered. Because when people thrive, communities prosper, and agriculture flourishes.

As we celebrate today, let us renew our commitment to nurture talent, foster innovation, and champion diversity in agriculture. Let us support the next generation of agricultural leaders who will transform challenges into opportunities and visions into reality.

To every farmer, student, intern, and agricultural professional here today — you are the heart of our industry and the architects of our future.

Together, let us grow not just crops, but careers, confidence, and communities.

Happy SayPro Agriculture Day 2025!
Let’s cultivate our greatest resource — our people.

Thank you.